Throughout time, the media has played an imperative role in shedding light on important societal issues, including climate change, poverty, corruption, and gender inequality. Film is an excellent medium that can explore sensitive topics with nuance, providing multifaceted perspectives and motivating the audiences to contribute to the necessary changes in the world by inspiring action and heightening awareness. The film industry has become so popular, and due to its diversity, it has attracted a wide range of audiences that have become loyal fans, who now buy the latest merch from the new Funko shop for Canada or other countries.
Films possess a universal language that exceeds linguistic barriers and geographical boundaries, making them an excellent tool for spotlighting global issues. The African film joined this critical discourse, becoming a powerful force to tackle pressing social concerns by using the art of storytelling. It has played a massive role in showcasing the nation’s rich cultural diversity to the world through authentic stories reflecting the country’s diversity, contributing to an inclusive global entertainment landscape. Beyond fostering cultural pride, this has also attracted international audiences looking for fresh narratives. With its unique storytelling and rich cultural narratives, South Africa’s film industry has shown a lot of promise, but where is it headed in the future?
South Africa: a hub for local and international productions
It’s no secret that international productions often chose South Africa as the location to shoot scenes – and it’s not only due to the picturesque landscapes. Strong financial support has also been a reason behind this allure, as well as the country’s fast-expanding studio facilities. Cape Town has stood out as the most appealing for productions, as the Film Permits Office of Cape Town issued 3,900 permits in July 2022-July 2023 alone, showcasing increased activity levels.
Cape Town is also home to animation studio Triggerfish and offered the locations for Boy Kills World –a martial arts thriller- representing one of the most expensive South African pictures ever created. However, besides Cape Town, other South African cities were chosen as locations for various films; for instance, for Kings of Jo’burg, a Netflix crime drama, the chosen setting was Johannesburg, while Durban- among other cities- has a long production history, too. Notably, South Africa also had various co-production treaties with Germany, France, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, and Ireland, to name a few. Treaties are important because they enable producers to seamlessly interact and collaborate on projects.
Quite a few famous films were filmed in South Africa, such as Mad Max: Fury Road, which is an adrenaline-fueled dystopian epic, highlighting the arid beauty of the landscape in South Africa as the background for the high-octane vehicular chaos. Blood Diamond, an intense political thriller, also used the diverse locations of South Africa and successfully captured the harsh realities as well as the raw beauty of the continent, while Invictus made the most of the iconic stadiums and landscapes to tell the story of national pride and reconciliation.
Even the popular Kissing Booth trilogy was filmed in different locations around Cape Town, capturing South Africa’s coastal scenery and charm while conveying the story of a high school romance evolving through three installments. Of course, one cannot talk about the South African film sector without mentioning the beloved African movies that have become popular for their look into African culture and their specific style. For example, Moffie, directed by Oliver Hermanus, is a touching war drama exploring the challenges that a young, queer conscript faces during compulsory military service in 1981 South Africa, delving into important themes such as sexuality and identity.
Challenges in South Africa’s film sector
While South Africa has been promoted as a destination for the production of international films, the industry faces some challenges that could further hinder its success unless action is taken. The struggles that the South African film sector is facing are mainly due to limited funding: while government initiatives such as the National Film and Video Foundation provide some support, the resources aren’t enough to fund large-scale productions, and independent filmmakers face obstacles in securing budgets, which can lead to incomplete projects. Another factor that hampers growth in the industry is the lack of infrastructure, making it challenging for the industry to compete with global markets. Also, South African films don’t have enough distribution channels, which reduces their reach internationally as well as locally.
The rise of streaming platforms, such as Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Netflix, has made a major impact on the film industry globally, and although these platforms have invested in South Africa’s film productions occasionally, most of their content competes with local films. Given that audiences find big-budget international productions more appealing, hometown films’ viewership is limited.
Opportunities for rebuilding a thriving film industry in South Africa
Despite the challenges mentioned earlier, it’s worth noting that South Africa’s film industry can still thrive by implementing adequate solutions. One such potential solution is to embrace technological innovation, as AI-driven tools and virtual production techniques can significantly lower costs and enhance workflows, ensuring that filmmaking is accessible to independent creators. Collaboration between investors, filmmakers and distributors can also make a difference in South Africa’s film industry, helping unlock opportunities for distribution and funding, while programs that seek to develop local talent and encourage storytelling can transform the sector as well and restore its foundation.
Obviously, greater government support is also needed to facilitate this growth for the South African film industry. Enhanced funding for arts, the development of infrastructure, as well as tax incentives for filmmakers can attract international and local productions alike.
The bottom line
In a complex modern world, films continue to be a potent force that fuels societal changes and encourages a sustainable and just future for everyone. In South Africa, the industry has thrived for a long time, seeing a surge in foreign production, but it’s worth noting that various challenges need to be addressed to sustain growth in the long run.
Through strategic cooperation and innovation, South Africa’s film industry can continue to inspire, connect, and entertain global audiences and become even more appealing for global players seeking to benefit from its stunning locations and everything it has to offer.